Veendam Day 5a - Guatemala

We arrived early in Guatemala, and came right in to the dock. (No tendering this time!) We were greeted by a band playing Caribbean-sounding music, and got on our bus to head towards the Mayan ruins.

The ruins are what used to be a large plaza (the largest the Mayans ever built) that was the center of trade in the region for people coming in off the river. It was ruled by a king who reached near-God status, for he lived to be somewhere between 80 and 100 years old (the average life expectancy of the time was 35).

In these lands, he started out as a regent of sorts, ruling over the local district under another king farther inland. As he grew in power, he killed the other king and took over ruling of the kingdom himself. He ruled for many many years and was worshipped by his people as his power grew.

Band Playing while Disembarking in Guatemala

Near the Mayan Ruins

Of course, outside the entrance they are selling stuff. Lots of hand-woven fabrics and various knick-nacks (clay flutes and such).

Selling Stuff Near the Ruins

Parasitic Tree
This tree is actually 2 trees. One is a parasite that starts out growing out of the bark of the other tree. It then grows down and up until it starts taking over the root system and eventually strangles the other tree.

Ceiba Tree
The ceiba tree is the national tree of Guatemala. They grow so tall that the Mayans believed them holy, because they joined the 3 levels of their universe: the underworld, the earth, and the heavens.

There are a large number of stella like this, almost all created by the stormy king. The first few were created facing east, towards the other king's palace, but as he gained in power, the new stella were created facing in, towards the plaza, representing where the real power lie. All of them were created in honor of the king, tellling the story of his life, his family, and his rule over the kingdom.

Stella (1)

Stella (2)

Lawn Mower!
They apparently had a machine to help mow the grass around here, but it died a few months ago and now the labor has to cut the grass manually, with a machete! Ugh.

These tablets were created shortly before the king's ascension to the throne. The first shows him dancing, which it turns out is pretty rare in Mayan art. Most figures are very static and don't show movement. The second shows what appears to be a sacrifice. This tablet depicts someone being strangled by a boa constrictor. It is thought that a sacrifice did a dance with a boa as tribute to the king during his ascension.

The boulder depicts the king sitting in a God's mouth, depicting his power and ascension to godhood himself.

Tablet - Dancing Storm King

Tablet - Sacrifice to the Stormy King

The King's Ascension

Stone Walls/Stairs (Before Restoration)

Stone Walls/Stairs (After Restoration)

Grandma and Grandpa

The Plaza

The king's home was actually rather dark, uncomfortable, and hot, compared to the thatched homes the commoners lived in, but it was considered an honor to have a stone home such as this, with all of the labor it takes to create it.

Ampitheater and the King's Home

Closer on the King's Home

A Wall by the River
This wall was constructed by the king to amaze passers-by on the river as to the strength and power of his rule. A later king had covered it up with dirt and built new construction on top of it -- a very common practice in Mayan construction -- but the original stonework was preserved under the dirt and is being restored.

Marble Palace

Stella (3)

Massive Tree!

Stella (4)

Stella (5)

Stella (6)

Stella (7)

Ant Highway
This trail was actually not created by humans, but instead by thousands upon thousands of ants walking along, bringing food back to their hill.

Banana Trees
On the way back from the ruins, you can see a large banana plantation. Here are the bananas with plastic over them to keep the morning dew from focusing the sun's energy like a magnifying glass, so they don't get black spots. If you look closely, you can also see a metal bar that is actually a kind of conveyer with hooks that the harvesters put the bananas on to send them to the main building for processing.

On the way back, we ran into a long line of trucks blocking half of the road. They were protesting because the city of Guatemala does not allow trucks to drive in between 5 in the morning, and 8 at night.

Trucker Protest

No Scabs!